Rome is 0-9 against East Paulding since August of 2018 but things could change on Monday. The Rome Wolves will face off against the East Paulding Raiders at 5:00 p.m. After the two teams made easy work of their previous opponents, one won't be so lucky on Monday.
On Saturday, everything went Rome's way against Coosa as Rome made off with a 17-1 win.
Camdyn Ely made a big impact no matter where she played. She looked comfortable on the mound, pitching three innings while giving up no earned runs or hits. She has been nothing but reliable: she hasn't given up more than one walk in three consecutive pitching appearances. She was also big at the plate, scoring two runs and stealing a base while getting on base in two of her three plate appearances.
In other batting news, the team relied heavily on Jakayla Strickland, who got on base in three of her four plate appearances with a home run, three stolen bases, and three runs. That high mark didn't come from nowhere: she now stolen two or more in the last eight games she's played dating back to last season. Another player making a difference was Olivia Wade, who scored two runs and stole two bases while getting on base in all three of her plate appearances.
Perhaps unsurprisingly given the score, Rome always had someone on base and finished the game having posted an OBP of .621. That's a new trend for them: their average OBP was 34.5% earlier this season, but in their last five games they've averaged 48.9%.
Meanwhile, East Paulding came tearing into Thursday's match with eight straight wins (a stretch where they outscored their opponents by an average of 10 runs) and they left with even more momentum. They were the clear victor by a 9-2 margin over the Cougars. The Raiders might be getting used to big wins seeing as the team has won 13 matchups by six runs or more this season.
Like Rome, East Paulding also got a great game from a two-way player: Brie Cazares. She struck out ten batters over seven innings while giving up just two earned runs off five hits (and only one walk). The dominant performance gave Cazares a new career-high in strikeouts. She was also solid in the batter's box, going 2-for-4 with two RBI.
In other batting news, Andrea Davis was excellent, scoring two runs and stealing a base while going 2-for-4. Another player making a difference was Ansleigh Broome, who scored a run and stole a base while going 3-for-5.
Rome's record is now 6-15. As for East Paulding, their victory was their fourth straight on the road, which pushed their record up to 19-3.
Monday's contest might come down to which pitcher can control the ball better. Rome has hit smart this season, having averaged an OBP of 0. However, it's not like East Paulding struggles in that department as they've averaged 0. With both teams so capable at the plate, fans should be ready for an impressive hitting performance.
Rome suffered a grim 19-0 defeat to East Paulding in their previous meeting back in August. Can Rome avenge their defeat or is history doomed to repeat itself? We'll find out soon enough.
Article generated by infoSentience based on data entered on MaxPreps
